The ABCs of Growing Up
by MochiUs
Summary: Five times Izuku gave a kiss and one time he received a kiss.


1.

Split lip. Scraped skin. A wide, triumphant smile.

Bakugou Katsuki came out victorious once again. He was involved with a small skirmish because these upperclassmen were jealous of his popularity and the hordes of girls who overflowed his locker with Valentine's chocolates. He scoffed. It wasn't his fault they were too ugly or weak to catch anybody's affections.

Though they originally ganged up on him to teach him a lesson, they were given a rude awakening, overpowered by a mere first grader, and had their asses handed back to them.

They were so pathetic, Katsuki couldn't bother watching their retreating, crawling backs. He raised his fist like a winner, bearing a smile so bright, it was like looking straight into the sun.

One sniveling kid proved that sore losers existed in this world. "You'll pay for this!"

Another was no better. "I'm telling my brother!"

However, their petty, nasally threats were nothing compared to Izuku's praises.

"Wow, Kacchan, you're so cool!" Sparkles glimmered in his green forest eyes. "First, he was like," he chopped the air, "Hi yah!"

Katsuki watched his reenactment with slight interest.

"But then you!" Izuku created a dramatic show of his hands coming together into a clap, "Boom! Right into his face! And then-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," Katsuki said with his chest puffed out, withstanding the twinge of pain on his right cheek.

Knowing his mother, she would yap at him all day about preserving his face and dab his swollen cheek with disinfectant. Perhaps it was the way he grimaced gave his predicament away, or perhaps Izuku was too observant for his own good and caught Katsuki's wince when he curved his lips too far into the right.

The main takeaway was that Katsuki was in pain, but when he felt a pair of soft, supple lips brush against the area of the wound, he was taken aback. The kiss came so fast, Katsuki didn't register it as a kiss until Izuku explained himself. The blond gawked, confused about whether he should be insulted or flustered by the act.

"Mama said kisses make boo-boos go away," he said as if he shared the secret of the universe. "It always works for me." He blinked in expectation. "Did it work for you?"

Rather than the pain subsiding, his swollen cheek felt inflamed, and worse, the burning sensation seeped throughout his face, spreading its influence all the way to his neck.

This emotion was alien to him, and he resented it when it first took root.

"Look what you did!" he hissed. "You made it worse!"

He pushed against Izuku's chest, hoping that this unfamiliar feeling would recede and wither away, lest he had to resort to pulling out the weeds himself. However, unbeknown to him, the feeling bloomed and festered within the confines of his young heart, rendering him useless against its influence as he grew along Izuku's side until it suffocated him.

2.

Purple bruises. Exhausted eyes. A simple love letter on his desk.

Katsuki was no stranger to Izuku's torment, especially when he was usually the cause of his misery. Yet, today he was not involved in the prank unfolding before him. He watched Izuku with keen eyes as the middle schooler stared at the soft pink envelope with skepticism. Despite his obvious wariness, Izuku went to the meeting place, only to be mocked and scorned by his peers for believing their trick.

"I can't believe Deku thought someone was gonna give him chocolates on Valentine's," they jeered as they left Izuku's pride in tatters.

They left him alone, and sure, Izuku seemed crestfallen, but Izuku was glad he made his choice because if it was a letter from a real girl, he would never forgive himself for leaving her out in the cold. Before Katsuki went home after checking out the aftermath of the prank, Izuku was approached by a girl in the same grade but belonged to a different classroom. She fitted the nerdy look. Big-rimmed glasses. A clean-cut bob cut. A stack of books tucked in her underarm. If Katsuki recalled, she was also one of the remaining quirkless individuals in their school

"Here," she laid out a fisted gloved hand, which Izuku watched with uncertainty.

Impatient, she said more aggressively, "Put out your hand!"

Startled, he followed her orders and did just that. The girl plopped a Hershey's kiss onto his palm, its foil wrapper glimmering beneath the setting sun. It was a small token of obligation, but it was enough to choke Izuku up, to cradle the chocolate with his fingers while he struggled out a bumbling word of thanks.

Katsuki was no fortune teller. He couldn't foresee them ending up as a couple since Izuku somehow managed to gather his guts to ask her out on a date, but his doubts were dashed as quickly as they formed. Like any fickle, daydreaming girl, she dumped Izuku in a heartbeat, or more specifically, after two weeks, and fell for a kid whose quirk could change any object into steel.

Katsuki remembered that day, the day when the news circulated about how the quirkless kid was abandoned for someone better, tougher, stronger. At the time, he was walking back home after he denied going to the arcades with his cronies. After all, he was a top student who was aiming for higher heights. He had no time to waste his valuable time with lackies who were going to continue their lives as bottom feeders.

For some inexplicable reason, he was trekking towards home on a different route and came across Izuku's downtrodden form. He was sitting limply at the swings, gripping onto the ropes so tight until his knuckles were white. Instead of the fat, ugly tears he was so accustomed to, Izuku let out a frustrated scream, a scream that would rival against all the screams of heartbroken men and began digging into the bag of candy on his lap. He gorged upon the Hershey's kisses as if they were his last meal on earth, popping a new one into his mouth nonstop after he unwrapped them. Katsuki stood there, mesmerized as he watched Izuku give himself these kisses as if they were his way to lick his wounds.

It was one of the most pitiful sights he ever witnessed.

3.

Pink walls. Loud music. An occupied table with his name on it.

"Kacchan!" Izuku waved to him. "Over here!"

The pro hero doesn't know what deadly concoction was in his acquaintance's hands, but after counting at least three colors in that sugary drink, he deemed it poison.

"What is this place?" he said gruffly, head burrowed between his hunched shoulders.

He felt naked in civilian clothing, surrounded by customers who were younger than him, chatting away without a care of their responsibilities or their future. Izuku blended in with them as nicely as a smoothie, donning an ironic T-shirt with the words "Cardigan" plastered on it while wearing an actual navy-blue cardigan. His red high tops stood out, but nowadays, they were all the rage. Nobody would be the wiser that the hero Deku sat amongst these boba enthusiasts.

"Oh, a milk tea place Uraraka-san recommended to me," he said. "They once had a drink named after her. Want a taste?"

He offered him his drink.

Katsuki redirected the conversation away from Round Face. Anybody would when they saw the bittersweet look on Izuku's face.

"Why did you call me here?" He scooted a chair over next to his partner's side. "What do you want?"

Remembering the purpose of this meeting, Izuku said, "Ah, well." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm here on behalf of Mina-san."

Of course Pinky would be involved with this. This whole situation stank of her perfume and meddling. Braving a glance to gauge Katsuki's reaction, Izuku deemed it safe to continue his explanation.

"Valentine's day is in a couple of days, and she wanted to ask you to take her shift."

Well, he said more besides the truncated version, but that was what Katsuki registered before the outrage settled in.

"What?!" he bared his teeth. "I'm going to work more hours that day just so that she can go on a stinking date with Shitty Hair?!"

It sounded way worse when he announced that aloud. Izuku shushed him, waving his hands frantically to calm him down. However, another thought occurred to Katsuki, and if his hunch was right, the implications disturbed him.

"Why are you here telling me this?" he asked with growing apprehension. A shadow crossed the plane of his face, which caused Izuku to avoid staring at him directly. "Why isn't Raccoon Eyes doing this herself?"

For a guy who doesn't have a quirk related to sweat production like Katsuki, Izuku was sweating buckets.

"Ah, well," Izuku floundered with his explanation, spelling out bullshit like how Pinky was too busy to catch him.

However, Katsuki was too clever to accept that piss-poor reason; he should have never spilled the beans to her about his feelings for the green-haired dolt. News of Izuku's new single status sparked a chain of pesky visits to yours truly because now that Uraraka was out of the picture, Katsuki had a chance to get to his heart.

"Or even better, if you play your cards right," she smirked salaciously, "To his pants."

Yeah. Revealing how much he pined for Izuku's sweet ass was one of his not-so-smart ideas.

He laid his elbow on the edge of the table and placed his cheek against his palm for balance.

"Fine," he grumbled.

He was getting too old to be soft. He must be turning senile. Yet, the sad image of Izuku patrolling the streets haunted him, and it niggled him to think of the nerd returning home without a person or a pet to greet him.

"But you owe me dinner," he added.

Izuku lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes shining bright and lips curving into a smile that made Katsuki burn with need.

"Thank you, Kacchan, you're the best."

In a perfect world, he would have taken the initiative, crowded into Izuku's space with half-mast eyes, and invite him to his apartment after dinner.

However, this was not a perfect world, for it was a messy, ugly concoction of mistakes and mishaps. One would say he choked once he caught Izuku's gaze. Others would say he was trying to be considerate since Uraraka's absence was fresh in the hero's mind.

Whatever the reason, Katsuki had to redirect these feelings, and his outlet was in the form of Izuku's drink. He snatched it up, his lips hollowing over the straw as he sucked up the toppings like no tomorrow. When the liquid first touched his tongue, he almost gagged from the sugary sweetness, taste buds crying out for help. He was a disaster through and through.

His face pinched into disgust. He smacked his lips as he tried not to hurl.

"Gross," he shuddered.

He might need to take a glucose tolerance test after that one sip. Actually, he was more concerned over Izuku's risk of hyperglycemia.

"How can you even tolerate that shit?"

Izuku smiled and deftly took his drink back in his hands. Without hesitation, he did the ultimate power move and took a long sip to irk him. It worked.

Crimson eyes flittered around the minimalistic store, searching for any source of water to dilute this atrocious flavor, but to no avail, there was nothing in sight. If he thought the initial taste was terrible, the aftertaste was ten times worse. He rushed to the front to ask for a cup of water, and Izuku's laugh filtered into his ears as he made his desperate dash. Irritated that Izuku would be bold enough to laugh at his misfortune, he made a mental note to throw all the insufferable police officers and old women to him during their patrol.

It took a few gulps of ice, cold water for Katuski to realize that he received an indirect kiss, and as a result, he swallowed the water down the wrong tube. He choked, wheezing in stuttered coughs.

Deku kissed him. Indirectly, that is.

4.

High rooftops. Blistering winds. A lone figure sitting on the edge.

"Hey," Katsuki announced his presence cautiously, shoulders lowering themselves down to present himself more harmless than his typical hardy exterior.

He was not comfortable working in cases like these, so he walked in heady steps, heavy with trepidation. As he got closer to the edge, however, he lowered his defenses and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oi," he called out the loner sitting on the edge. "Deku, what the fuck are you doing out there?"

Snapped out of his reverie, Izuku turned around. He smiled, albeit a pinched one and greeted him.

"Hello Kacchan!" He probably aimed for enthusiastic, but Izuku's lies and fake façade never went past Katsuki's radar. "Just loitering around. Relaxing," he said. He swung his legs in the open air. They were free to move as they please. "My shift is done for the day."

The cold, blustering wind brushed against his hair, making him look even more frazzled and unkempt than usual.

"You?" he asked Katsuki.

"Couple more hours left," he answered. "Got concerned calls about a man staying on the rooftops for an hour." He raised his eyebrow at that statement.

For a few seconds, Izuku processed what he said. When he registered the implications, he guiltily looked away and flushed red.

"Oh no," he covered his face in mortification. "That call was about me, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, no shit," Katsuki grumbled and joined Izuku's side on the ledge.

The view below them was filled with red, lacy decorations and hearts. Stores and shops were infected by the romantic holiday traditions. Candies and flowers were perched outside in display, reminding lovers of Valentine's Day before it's too late.

"People care about you, you know," Katsuki stated. He rested his cheek against his arm, enjoying the bright, twinkling lights of the city.

"I know," Izuku whispered. His eyes, which were glued upon the streets and the dots of people bustling through them for almost an hour, strayed to Katsuki's eyes. There was weight in his words.

Though he accepted this fact, his disappearances were often, his cancellations to karaoke nights and parties prevalent within their friend group. Izuku was like a ghost who was slowly deteriorating in the shadows, closed off from society besides fighting villains and rescuing civilians. On the other hand, Deku the hero was as brilliant as the tabloids praised him, hyping him up as the greatest hero of the century. Indeed, they would plaster all over the magazines, he was a worthy successor to All Might.

The impact of his mentor's death must have done a number on him. It was worse than Katsuki expected.

"Kacchan," he said softly like a prayer, like a wish. "This may sound out of the blue, but…"

He sidled closer, close enough to feel the heat emitting from Katsuki's warmth, close enough the see the reds and golds flecked in his irises. If he scooted closer, he would have heard Katsuki's heartbeat, thumping rapidly like a jackhammer from the proximity. This was how he affected Katsuki. This was how they were always in each other's orbit.

"Can I kiss you?" Izuku asked him and bit his lip because the absolute fear of rejection hounded his thoughts.

Katsuki stiffened, and it was not because of the cold. Izuku's cheeks reddened. His freckles looked nice and bold on his milky skin, though nowadays they seemed paltry, but against pink, the freckled looked captivating to touch, more beautiful to observe. Perhaps it was the same effect of watching soft cherry blossoms flutter from the branches to the ground.

"Why?" Katsuki echoed out his thoughts.

Some would say he was overly cautious, but he doesn't want to dive headfirst into a love that barely got a chance to bloom.

"I…"

Izuku drew a blank because he never expected Katsuki to humor him. One moment he was enraptured by Katsuki's company, lonely fingers yearning to be held. Then the next moment he was focused on Katsuki's glossy lips and guessed that he applied some recently to avoid getting them chapped.

Izuku is lost. He doesn't know why he felt that overcoming urge for Katsuki to push him away, calling him disgusting or pathetic or just plain weird, anything to give him the excuse to break off their friendship.

His shoulders trembled, but they were not from the cold. Water filtered into his line of sight. The smell of burnt sugar strong in its scent. Izuku turned away in shame and stared at the empty space beneath him. Even though he was on top of the world, the pinnacle of hero society, he never felt so small. Looking at the bottom, the people looked tiny, but at the same time, looking from their perspective, he probably looked tiny to them as well.

Katsuki leaned over him, eyes searching for tricks or lies, but this was Izuku, the same man who couldn't keep One for All as a secret to him.

"Kiss me," he gave him permission, eyes drooping to a close. "Before I change my mind."

Izuku leaned forward, feeling braver than before. He moved away from the ledge and pressed against Katsuki's front, his icy hands touching Katsuki's cheeks. His skin was soft, leading Izuku to wonder if it was due to a daily application of moisturizer or a side effect of his quirk. The blonde hissed from the sudden frost, but as payback, his hands drifted to grope Izuku's ass, bringing him flushed against his chest.

As expected, Izuku made a sound, but not before he took the dive and sealed his lips against Katsuki's. This was how they got together.

XXX

The next morning, Izuku woke up to memories of last night, the night where he kissed Katsuki and took in everything, along with his feelings and tongue. He was so drunk on the kiss, he doesn't remember when Katsuki walked him back home, urged him to shower and assisted cleaning up his apartment. On his nightstand was a slip of paper with a number written on it, leaving Izuku dazed and confused. Katsuki was already in his contacts.

Curious, Izuku made the call, and he waited for five rings before he received a reply. Later on, after an appointment and a few visits, Izuku learned that the number belonged to Katsuki's therapist.

5.

Turning heads. Speeding cars. A desperate hero reaching out.

The taxi was not within a hand's reach, but Katsuki was no quitter. He was made to go the distance. He ignited the nitroglycerin slicked in his palms, reveled in the way his hands lit up as he made the first explosion. His quirk propelled him to the sky, and with another blast, he caught up to his target without a sweat. He landed in front of the taxi's path with a smug smirked plastered on his gremlin face. With an obstacle in its midst, the vehicle screeched to an abrupt stop, surely angering the passenger inside it. Right on cue, a flash of green stepped out with a virulent presence.

Katsuki felt shivers down his spine, but his grin never wavered. He only felt the thrill.

"Get out of the way, Kacchan," Izuku tried to sound threatening. The air crackled along with his quirk.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Deku," he told him. "Not when I finally caught up to you."

Katsuki never had to run after Izuku, though. It was always the other way around.

An electric zing zipped through his legs, and they spurred Izuku to dash towards his future partner, his future right-hand man. He doesn't know what was next, but they were going to be a hero duo, an official pair recognized by the association through the rankings.

Katsuki, this infuriating man who knew how to get deep into his bones, who pushed and supported him both as a hero partner and as a friend, stood his ground and accepted him with open arms. Izuku slammed into his lean frame, for he was taken aback by the lack of resistance on Katsuki's part. Instead of an all-out brawl, he took him down to the ground and ended up caging him there with his stocky arms.

"What," Izuku blubbered. "Why, I-I don't understand."

His childhood friend gripped his forearms tight, locking him here, right where he wanted him.

"Deku," Katsuki said.

He broke down his barriers and gave him the most vulnerable look he could muster, his crimson eyes turning soft like the snow powdering their surroundings.

"Deku, I love you."

Izuku held his breath because for all these years, Katsuki was a man who demonstrated love through the teasing nudges on his side, the bento boxes laid on his desk, the unannounced visits to his apartment, or the common ruffles to his bed of hair. To hear his confession, the validity of his feelings, speared into Izuku's heart and left him disarmed.

"Again," Izuku demanded.

Izuku always reasoned that it was fine to be the only one to say it in the relationship, excusing Katsuki with half-assed explanations such as shyness or pride.

"I love you."

"Again," Izuku almost choked in his words as he lowered himself to Katsuki's face, "Again."

This time, Katsuki didn't refuse, "I love-"

Izuku kissed him, shutting him up effectively with an open-mouthed kiss that left him aching for more. Katsuki braced for the high, the rush of endorphins consuming his very being as he swallowed Izuku's moan, pulling out more from him as he licked around his teeth, the inside of his warm, hot mouth.

"I love you," Izuku gasped as Kasuki suckled his neck. "I love you," he keened as he felt roaming hands on his sides.

XXX

That was the first time they almost got in trouble for public indecency.

+1

Joined hands. Flushed skin. Two people who were deeply in love.

Whenever Izuku hummed, it felt meditative to listen and soothing to listen like a cold balm upon a scorching wound. Then he stuttered when fingers pried him open, the musical notes morphing into breathless pants as Katsuki took his time because they had all the time in the world.

"What are you humming?" Katsuki crooned, feeling the blush creep up his neck, enamored at the way Izuku's readily accepted his fingers like clockwork. He must have fingered himself before this.

Katsuki licked his lips, excited to have this meal, and Izuku wrapped around his neck, asking him for more kisses than stares.

"And you know I love you, yeah," he sang beautifully, somewhat staying in tune, but when Katsuki entered in and eagerly pushed past the rim, the chord broke into a broken moan.

Izuku's legs wrapped around his trimmed waist and gyrated his hips, letting Katsuki to sink deeper into him, to feel him reach into his core. His fingers made their home on his shoulders, bruising them blue and purple from the intense spike of pleasure that ran through him once Katsuki slammed into his prostrate. He cried out Katsuki's name like an angel singing to the stars. Tears touched his freckled cheeks, slipping down to his hickey-infested neck.

Izuku thumbed the corners of his eyes and clenched around Katsuki, imprinting his blissed-out face into his memory. Then his lover melded their lips into a passionate kiss and groaned out as he reached his climax. Izuku followed suit because he always followed him to the ends of the earth.

The room was saturated with their scent and love, and they laid there, entangled to each other like vines. As they dwindled down, ready for sleep, pushing their messy problems to their future selves, Katsuki continued his ministrations, giving his lover a lifetime of kisses. And Izuku greedily accepted them, for he was the only man worthy enough to deserve this love.


End file.
